It seems that ToughBuilt StackTech and SK Tools have found a new home for their modular tool boxes systems on TEMU.
Temu is an online retailer that seems highly motivated to get their app on your phone. They’re known for cheap direct-from-China goods.
Thus far, I’ve steered clear of Temu and will continue to do so, but I found this development to be interesting.
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I made a couple of observations after a bit of searching, with all of that prompted by a reader’s tip and questions about StackTech’s appearance on the platform.
ToughBuilt seems to have a branded seller’s page, suggesting that they’re utilizing Temu as an online marketplace to reach new customers.
SK’s tool boxes and a couple of socket sets are being sold by a company called GS Professional Tools, which has only listed 14 SK branded products. They’re all described as being stocked in a “local” warehouse.
Looking deeper, there are other tool box products on Temu as well, with many also being marked as being stocked in local warehouses.
Some of the offerings are retail-exclusives, such as Ridgid’s and Hart’s, which are exclusive to Home Depot and Walmart respectively. There are others, such as the Keter Stack-n-Roll tool box combo from Amazon, that also seem out of place at Temu.
A lot of those products, such as Ridgid Pro Gear 2.0 tool boxes, are being sold by unrecognizable sellers, with some also listing tools, storage, and home lifestyle products from a number of different brands.
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It’s possible some are just drop-shipping. If you buy the Ridgid medium tool box from Temu for $53.31, maybe they’re just ordering it from Home Depot, which has the same for $39.98 with free shipping right now.
I’m not sure what conclusions or inferences can be drawn from this, but it seemed like an interesting development to report on.
Thank you to JoeM for the heads-up!
I have NOT purchased anything from Temu, and have zero inclination to change my stance.
See Also: Let’s Talk About Temu’s Influencer and Affiliate Cash Incentives
Jronman
Can we confirm or deny these are legit name brand items or just Temu clones that happen to use the same name and design?
Robert
I wonder if Toughbuilt doing a branded seller’s page on Temu is possibly due to them being frustrated at under enthusiastic support by Lowe’s?
Or is it indeed just a strategy to get expose with a somewhat different audience, young people, my understanding are more likely to shop from Temu – while big box stores may be seen as stogy.
Jared
I’ve been leery of Temu too. Your previous coverage described my concerns – and gave me new ones.
I’ve read articles describing Temu as predicated on sort of a “group buy” idea. That concept seems ok, but it’s all the spying and marketing issues that give me pause.
KMR
ToughBuilt StackTech has been on Alibaba for a very time.
I don’t think ToughBuilt can control where 3rd party sellers list their products in un-official vendors / marketplaces. I suspect the same thing is going on here with the Temu listings.
Stuart
The seller’s page is ToughBuilt-branded, strongly implying that those listings are direct and NOT by a 3rd party.
Jason Swansen
The items on Alibaba are leftover stock from suppliers that didn’t get paid. Many items weren’t ever even for sale due to not paying the factories. So the suppliers recoup their cost by trying to sell them directly.
KMR
I kind of figured that may be the situation when I saw them on Alibaba given ToughBuilt’s troubles.
KokoTheTalkingApe
I think nothing will make me buy from Temu. No brand names, no matter how respected, and no prices, no matter how low.
IronWood
Agreed 100%
MM
Same. I don’t care how good the deals are, the whole situation is incredibly sketchy.
Stuart
I can’t shake the feeling that it’s some kind of Faustian bargain; I have not and will not be installing the app on my phone.
eddiesky
Count me in as No AliExpress/Temu/Alibaba. The items are either knockoffs, cleared stock resellers or side-selling from connections with actual factory (who’s gonna know?).
Even Amazon has “legit named stores” of brands that after some investigating, the company doesn’t have an Amazon presence and its some reseller cloning as official store. E.G. GLEE gum. Its chewing gum. Nothing artificial. Store on Amazon. Turns out, we ordered some boxes and noticed that Spearmint was horrible…gum wasn’t solid but turned to mush on chewing. I put a call in to GLEE with box number, etc. Their customer support explained the batch code was old, and that the “reseller” must have gotten distribution access. Several emails and calls later, CS rep told me they got lawyers after Amazon as this was not their Official store-they never had one there. Also, sent us replacements for the bad batch…now we buy directly from GLEE. (apology for the long rant).
Anyway, if this is legit Toughbuilt, that is pretty sad. But, one can make a site and page look legit so… wonder if Stuart has contacts with TB to ask?
Stuart
Amazon has different brand “stores” and sometimes this is a collection of products with a hastily assembled landing page.
Temu has a seller’s profile, which is very different. Even on Amazon, sellers’ storefronts are tied to marketplace sellers, and this is different from “brand stores.”
On Amazon, because I won’t link to Temu:
Leatherman Store: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Leatherman/page/CCF5E853-71A2-4EB7-806A-A8FE7145504D?tag=toolguyd-20
Leatherman’s Seller Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/s?me=A2KAK4SU06JJJF&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=toolguyd-20
One is a marketing landing page, the other is a catalog of what a particular seller is offering.
On Temu, from what I can see, that’s a ToughBuilt seller’s page. It serves as the brand page too, but it looks setup as a seller’s page.
I sent an email today. Either this is legit, or severe impersonation.
Steven B
2 concerns: 1. is Temu legit?….2. the paradox of cheap tools.
I always want to buy tools at Harbor Freight and never end up doing so.
Why?
I don’t trust them with anything that can hurt me, like most saws, angle-grinders, etc. I’d rather buy a name brand rather than risk an ER visit.
If it’s a simple tool, like a wrench or a hammer, I’ll keep it forever…so why buy cheap? Why not buy the one you want if it’s going to last the rest of your life?
So that leaves a very small number of things I trust to buy at HF where it’s safe enough that I can trust them, but not durable enough that I’ll end up having to look at it for all of eternity. I always get excited looking at their stuff, and never end up buying once I think it through.
The same applies to Temu. I have seen many cool looking tools at great prices, especially creative measuring gadgets…but, in the end, I will keep it for decades, so…why deal with them?
I’ve ordered some toys for the kids from Temu and it was fine…but it was weird specialized stuff I couldn’t find elsewhere (model train stuff). The quality is as bad as you’d guess. I am sure that varies from product to product, but the stuff I got was dollar store quality at similar prices…just the exact type of miniature my son wanted.
MattT
That’s my approach to Harbor Freight as well. If the item requires AC electricity or its failure could maim or kill me, I don’t buy it from Harbor Freight. Tools. Tools to last? Also not Harbor Freight. Disposables like zipties and things like tarps are pretty much it.
Justin
Harbor Freight is not the same store that it was be for. A good amount of stuff they have now is worth buying.
Harbor Freight feels more and more like Sears once was. Good tools at ok price. They still have cheep junk but less and less of that now.
Lyle
I used to not buy much from Harbor Freight. I’d go for the free tarps and cheapo flashlights. I have some small moving pads that were really cheap or free. I bought a paint sprayer from them that I considered disposable, but it’s turned out to be pretty good. Certainly worth the $10 I paid. I’ve started buying more and more, they have an excellent micro ratch/bit set that is their Icon brand (lifetime warranty). I also have some rechargeable folding LED flashlights that I like. I also bought a Doyle vice (haven’t used it yet) and a combo circular/belt sander. Their quality has certainly improved a lot and their customer service (both in store and internet/call center) has been excellent.
NoDak Farming
I still think of Menards every time I see those SK tool boxes. And depending on which section or aisle you are in, Menards can seem like the Temu site, in living life. I still prefer Menards over Lowe’s or the Home Depot that’s a 150 miles away. Between being a life long customer and one time employee, I’ve seen most products that they have tried to sell. And if those SK tool boxes were painted a Masterforce green, they would be a natural fit. They’d be getting pushed hard, leading up to Christmas, Father’s Day, and during general “get your garage ready for spring” sales.
The Menards buying team should be tracking down the original manufacturer of those tool boxes. So that when SK drops them, Menards can start getting them painted in their preferred color. To be honest, I think they’d sell well.
Rob G Mann
Some time ago, curiosity got the best of me and I bought a Hart Stack toolbox from Temu for LESS than it would have cost me to buy the same thing from Walmart. I didn’t have high expectations, but I was curious was to what would show up.
About 36 hours later, I got a text from WALMART that my courier delivery was on the way. (I am a Walmart+ member so I am assuming that they somehow linked the delivery address to my phone number). A few hours later, the toolbox was outside my garage.
This made me even more curious as to how/why anybody would sell me something for less than it likely cost them.
I did some Google searches and the best explanation I could come up with is dark.
Everybody has heard these stories about how scammers trick people into paying them with gift cards, right? Well, apparently this is how scammers turn those gift cards into cash. They scam somebody into paying them with gift cards and then sell something from walmart for less than it would cost me direct.
Now that I know/suspect that this is the case, I will NEVER buy name brand stuff like that from Temu. It is always going to be (1) supporting gift-card or credit card fraud; (2) drop shipping when you could buy it for less direct; (3) counterfeit. I can’t think of any legitimate reason for it to be up there.
Jared
I wouldn’t have thought of that. That is devious.
Aaron SD
Hadn’t thought of that either. Before it was eBay or such and likely stolen if it was below cost. This is the same thing but as you figured out using stolen gift cards.
TomD
Temu also does strange and crazy thing with sales and coupons and as a seller you don’t have total control of it.
But gift card liquidation makes sense, too.
mizzourob
Does anyone know who the OEM is for these boxes?
Been curious and it seems there are number of curious design simmiliarities between ‘brands’ making me wonder if there is one or two OEMs producting the onslought of these boxes and all the veriations. For example, the original Kobalt XTR kit 4box (that they stopped selling) was itentical to Harbor Freight’s Bauer modular toolbox system, and the container store’s Tactix system.
Could it be that the OEM is doing Temu on the side to cut out the middle men (brand names and stores)?
mizzourob
Add Menard’s masterforce to the list of interchangebales above.
Stuart
Meridian makes tool boxes for Husky and Kobalt CaseStack.
They’re not an OEM for ToughBuilt; Meridian sued them over patent infringement.
mizzourob
Thanks!
NoDak Farming
Some people here maybe recognize that I have no harsh words for Harbor Freight. I’m just a believer that today’s lower end tools aren’t really different than what high end tools were, between six, eight, or ten years ago. That was a comment that someone else wrote at one time, and I tend to agree with whoever wrote it. If a proud contractor shows up with his older model, high end tool, from 7 years ago, he or she will be capable of doing great work. And that tool will be similar in specs & build quality of a brand new model, from a lesser brand today. Caveat being the that if you’re a professional that wants to buy into a known legacy brand, you’ll be paying more and potentially getting a more rounded selection of tools that work within the same battery platform.
It’s my opinion that Harbor Freight tools just aren’t as bad as some people want to believe they are. And they’ve come a long way, just in the last three years.
And as far as hand tools go, I think a lot of decent quality forged tools are coming out of Taiwan these days. On the flip side of foreign made tools, I have a set of Cat branded, Williams USA manufactured, Supercombo wrenches that I definitely plan to pass on to the next generation. And in the same box will probably be some Doyle or Icon branded tools from Harbor Freight. Along with some John Deere branded tools made in Taiwan. That is if all the tools survive not getting left out in the field haha. Servicing a late day breakdown and then packing out tools 45 minutes after sundown is probably going to be one of the things that keeps people from inheriting tools from me!
CMF
Wow, many people have fear or very active conspiracy theories of many places. What I like the most is the very negative comments from those who have never bought from Temu.
Anyway, I have made at least a dozen orders, and my wife, even more than a dozen. First, let me say I have never bought “brand” name items, so to that I cannot comment. In fact, I was very curious of this TG article, to see if anyone had bought any of the above mentioned SK, Toughbuilt and so on, and how legit they were.
What I buy are many nick-nicks that are expensive elsewhere or are hard to find.
Items like;
-Magnetic Shelf Label Holders that I use on my tool boxes and elsewhere.
-Magnetic hooks, which are rare earth, very cheap and work great
-Replacement straws for cans of foam or similar, that dry up and can’t use after
-Washers and sheet metal screws, which surprisingly don’t break as easy as I thought they would
-Metal blade and plastic blade (for delicate surfaces) scrapers
-Metal “S” hooks, gas lines for 2 stroke motors, replacement nozzles for gas cans and lots of fun signs. Like Penzoil, Champion, Texaco, or humor stuff like “A mans home is his castle, but his garage is his sanctuary”.
Many of these type of items.
The closest thing to a brand name item I bought were 3 different plastic tool boxes, specifically 2 or 3 tier cantilever boxes. They are as good as any Torin or Toughmax I bought on Amazon, or others I bought elsewhere, but Temu was cheaper and probably the same item, without a name.
I have always received all that I have ordered, with no complaints. My wife has twice had a wrong size item sent to her; they told her to keep it and reimbursed her.
I forget who, but one of us got a delivery past the expected date, and they gave us a $5 credit, for being late.
So overall, I cannot complain, in fact vey satisfied. But again, I have not bought something that is a brand name item. I have been buying for about a year, my wife, at least 2 or more. No issues with credit cards, more spam than usual, or any other nefarious issues some might have problems with unscrupulous websites.
As many say, your mileage may vary, but if you stick to the right kind of products, you should have zero issues. As for the brand name stuff, maybe it is legit, maybe not…if I try some, I will let you know.
Rob G Mann
I think you’re right. I won’t buy “brand name” things anymore because I don’t want to support gift card fraud (see my post above), but for the types of items you list, I have no hesitation.
That said, I do understand the hesitation that others have, so to each their own.
dandlyons
I bought into ToughBuilt StackTech. I have been very frustrated by the slow roll out. And to see Lowes apparently not stocking much in the way of StackTech products.
Folks were reporting on reddit that they were finding wanted StackTech items from Atlas Tools & Machinery (Canada) or on AliExpress (China). Posters claim the ToughBuilt stuff was genuine.
Due to health issues, I very much need the “4-Wheel Cart” (dolly) TB-B1-T-10. So I looked at AliExpress. Toughbuilt items available at Lowes were priced higher than Lowes prices.
But as luck would have it, the 4-Wheel Cart was priced the same as Lowes had they stocked them.
So I took a chance and placed an order. It came to a total $98.69. Ordering the TB-B1-T-10 from Atlas in Canada would cost $149 w/ shipping. Still waiting to see if the genuine article shows up. It is currently on the slow boat.
Incidentally, AliExpress has a variety of ToughBuilt hand tools that have never been offered by Lowes which I found curious.
I wouldn’t normally order brand name tools through channels such. But I already invested in ToughBuilt StackTech and need a way to wheel them around so I ordered one.
I am still keeping my fingers crossed that somehow ToughBuilt Stacktech offerings will show up at my local Lowes (*sigh*).
JZ
There is no reason at all to buy anything from TEMU. They can’t be trusted and there is no deal good enough to change my mind….
Mark. M
I’m all about a deal. I love saving money and it’s kind of like the thrill of an estate sale find when you can stack coupons of just score a great online buy. All that said, there’s not a deal around that would make me download or buy from Temu. It just doesn’t pass the sniff test. And if you’re a fan and it works for you, great. But not this guy.
Frank D
Odd thing. When I looked at Temu, after the article, there’s only like one or two things for sale … and in the typical Temu fashion they lead with the wrong picture … presenting it as if the entire stack is for sale, at first glance. Most of it looked like the Walmart version of an organizer set.
Paul Hacker
I have purchased from Temu for a couple of years now. It is hit and miss on what you order and what you get. Have bought from tools to kitchen gadgets to a pair of shorts she love for 8.00 off of there. Some of their buys are good …some very good .. some well ….